National Progress Alliance (NPA) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes free expression, open inquiry, and civil discourse in American universities, and opposes campus illiberalism. ¹

Activities

National Progress Alliance claims that far-left, woke ideologies are taking over American universities, affecting graduates who go on to work in primary education, human resources, and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) consulting. NPA further claims that this indoctrination will affect journalism, replacing objectivity and balance with ideology and activism.  In an effort to counteract this illiberalism, National Progress Alliance promotes free expression and open inquiry through grants, partnerships, and public awareness. ²

National Progress Alliance encourages alumni to stop donating to their alma maters to stop funding censorship and illiberalism. NPA recommends that alumni send letters explaining that they are unwilling to support schools that do not prioritize open discourse and a free exchange of ideas. NPA provides letter templates and points alumni to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s college free speech rankings. ³

National Progress Alliance produces shows and videos that include “Conversations with Peter Boghossian,” featuring topics and guests relevant to the current culture war; “All Things Re-Considered,” a five-episode series focused on bias in National Public Radio’s journalism; and short videos explaining things like woke jargon, decolonization, Antifa, and why colleges are becoming cults. NPA also produces “Reverse Q&A,” an interview series filmed on college campuses, where Boghossian asks students questions about their experiences with critical social justice and woke ideologies on campus. ⁴

Funding

National Progress Alliance is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While NPA does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm a $690,000 donation from the Documentary Foundation in 2021. ⁵

Board of Directors

Peter Boghossian is the executive director and president of National Progress Alliance. Boghossian is a founding faculty member at the University of Austin (not to be confused with the University of Texas, Austin) and a former assistant professor of philosophy at Portland State University. ⁶ Boghossian is a fellow at the Center for Prison Reform. ⁷ In his resignation letter to Portland State University, Boghossian claimed that students were not being taught to think for themselves, but rather trained to accept certain ideologies, creating an environment that was intolerant of divergent opinions and beliefs. Boghossian claimed that this environment led to students being afraid to speak openly, as it created a culture of offense, ultimately denying them the fundamental right of the freedom to question. ⁸

Melissa Chen is the secretary of NPA, the managing director of Ideas Beyond Borders, and the New York editor of Spectator USA. ⁹

Michael Trollan is the treasurer of NPA and the chair of Atheists for Liberty. Trollan is a founding board member of both Ideas Beyond Borders and the Sunday Assembly New York, a former chair of the Secular Coalition for America, and a former member of the advisory board of the Women’s Education Project. ¹⁰

1. “About.” National Progress Alliance. Accessed September 19, 2023. https://www.nationalprogressalliance.org/about/.
2. “About.” National Progress Alliance. Accessed September 19, 2023. https://www.nationalprogressalliance.org/about/.
3. “What We Do.” National Progress Alliance. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://www.nationalprogressalliance.org/work/.
4. “What We Do.” National Progress Alliance. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://www.nationalprogressalliance.org/work/.
5. Documentary Foundation. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2021. Schedule I, Part II.
6. “About.” National Progress Alliance. Accessed September 19, 2023. https://www.nationalprogressalliance.org/about/.
7. “Fellows.” Center for Prison Reform. Accessed September 19, 2023. https://centerforprisonreform.org/fellows/.
8. “My Resignation Letter.” Peter Boghossian. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://peterboghossian.com/my-resignation-letter.
9. “About.” Melissa Chen. Accessed September 19, 2023. https://melissa.blog/about/.
10. “Staff and Board of Directors.” Atheists for Liberty. Accessed September 19, 2023. https://www.atheistsforliberty.org/about-us/staff-and-board/.